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Week of Dec 5 – 11
* Total Items in Store: 529
* Items Sold: 19
* Cost of Items Sold: $16.31
* Total Sales: $461.89
* Highest Price Sold: $105 Mask / Face Sculpture
* Average Price Sold: $24.31
* Returns: 1 item – scarf
* Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $45
* Number of items listed this week: about 31Finally, after a few dud weeks, I get a good one! I had a higher overall number of sales plus a decent average price (for me) as well. I had one return of a scarf because the buyer just didn’t like it. She paid return shipping, so no problem.
As far as shipping goes, my current philosophy is to include shipping for all first class items and those that will fit into a padded fixed rate envelope. The exception is anything that I sell with best offer – shipping is always extra for those. I once had a decent offer for some antique plates, but I couldn’t accept it because I had included shipping.
Occasionally, I will include shipping for something that fits into a medium or large fixed rate box. I sell used tennis balls, and I have to include shipping in those because of competition and usually use FedEx Smartpost. I’m lucky that I have a FedEx Kinkos in my town, but it is a 15 min drive. I prefer the USPS which is a 2 min drive.
Last week, I posted a link to the sculpture I sold for $105, so I won’t do it again. Here are a few other favorite sales:
I don’t do too much in clothes, but I would like to add more. Here are a pair of youth snow pants I bought for $1 in the summer. Sold for $28 which included first class shipping:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=182327951848Someone recently suggested to remove needlepoints/embroideries from the frame if the frame wasn’t in great condition. I sold this one very quickly that way. Paid maybe a dollar, sold for $20 with shipping:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=182376268396A few Christmas items; The first I bought in an online auction for a dollar or so, and the second was given to me:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=182364016368
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=182276359380My brother-in-law gave me a bunch of Harmony Kingdom figurines to sell. Here is the first one to go, $35 including shipping:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=182381230115My first rug sale! Paid maybe $2 at a live auction, sold for $35 plus shipping:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=182359399061Silly me, I forgot to switch over to the HTML editor before inserting my code. Flippertools worked, but I’m sure that the other one would have worked too.
You can subscribe in two ways. One, when you comment on a topic like you did, you can click the box “Notify me of follow-up replies via email” right underneath the “Tags:” box. Two, at the top of the topic, there is a subscribe button. As long as you are logged in, you can press that link and you will be subscribed.
I just tried to embed a video in a listing. I used “http://www.isdntek.com/tagbot/YouTubeConverter.htm” converter that someone listed on SL a few weeks back. For some reason, eBay wouldn’t allow it. I got the following message:
It looks like there’s a problem with this listing.
We’ve noticed that your listing included a non-clickable link. eBay no longer permits non-clickable or static links in listings (in item descriptions, payment instructions, return instructions, etc.). Please go back and either remove the non-clickable link, or update it to make sure it complies with the links policy.To learn what else is no longer permitted in our updated Links policy, including email addresses, links to email clients and shortened URLS (e.g. bitly or TinyURL), please see: http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/news/links2011.html
Before I list my numbers, I was wondering if anyone here had purchased the 230 VCRs/DVDs auction lot in NJ that I had posted about last week. I had checked it a few hours before it ended, and someone had bid the minimum of $230.
Week of Nov 28 – 4
* Total Items in Store: 517
* Items Sold: 11
* Cost of Items Sold: $10.40
* Total Sales: $212.94
* Highest Price Sold: $35 Antique Cup & Saucer
* Average Price Sold: $19.35
* Returns: 1 damaged item
* Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $0
* Number of items listed this week: about 25This was an OK week for me, but better than last week. Sales picked up Sunday and Monday. The damaged item was my fault. It was a cake plate that was awkward to pack, so I didn’t do the normal box within box. Brain fart, I guess.
The antique cup & saucer was in an auction lot that I was not charged for. I didn’t realize their mistake until a few days later, otherwise, I would have said something. I initially didn’t think that the set was that nice, but I tracked the hallmark down:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=182361501591Here is something sold yesterday that will definitely bump up my average sale price for next week. The buyer paid full price of $105. The auctioneer said it was a funeral mask, but I’m not sure whether it is or not. I paid about $3 for it.:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=182326309416My sales have been slow. I think that October was the best 4th quarter month so far. I kept hearing about how great 4th quarter sales are, but, so far, I’ve been disappointed. Perhaps the holiday rush hasn’t started, maybe people buy new merchandise for gifts, or no-one likes the stuff I’ve listed. Could be any of the above.
I only starting selling in the Spring of this year, so I don’t have any previous year metrics to compare.
My brother-in-law just gave me about a dozen Harmony Kingdom collectable boxes to sell. They are the neatest things, and I’m hoping that this is something people will buy as gifts. The sold prices are from $20 to $90.
Thanks so much for the suggested words! It could be for a corner, or something curvy. Interestingly, it got a good number of views over night. Much more than other items I post. I just updated it with a better title.
Yeh, I know the title was sub-par. In general, I don’t use commas or connector words in my titles, but I wanted to list it quickly so that I could ask my question. I hadn’t even looked through the photos. I don’t have an account on Imur or anything similar, so listing it was the easiest way I could show you what I had and get to bed on time!!
If anyone is in the central NJ area and would be interested in buying a boatload of VCRs and DVD players, check out the link below. The minimum bid is $230 for 230 VCR and DVD players. I happened to notice it on govdeal.com. I personally don’t have the room nor the patience to test all of these, but the talk in previous Scavengerlife discussions is that they do sell well on eBay.
https://www.govdeals.com/index.cfm?fa=Main.Item&itemid=28&acctid=5693
Week of Nov 21 – 27
* Total Items in Store: 503
* Items Sold: 8
* Cost of Items Sold: $11.16
* Total Sales: $110.37
* Highest Price Sold: $19 Vintage Musical Mickey Mouse Watch
* Average Price Sold: $13.78
* Returns: not really a return, but damaged item through GPS
* Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $0
* Number of items listed this week: about 35Pretty lousy week for me compared to the last few. I got a best offer for an item that I know was listed too high, and I came down pretty significantly. But, no sale. I adjusted the buy now price, and, hopefully, it will sell with holiday sales.
I shipped a set of chess pieces through the global shipping program a few weeks ago, and one of the pieces arrived damaged. Unfortunately, it was one that the buyer needed to complete his set. From what he is saying, I think that eBay did not repackage it the way I had it. I had the pieces carefully rolled up in bubblewrap, not touching each other, and I think that they just threw a bunch of pieces loose together in the bubblewrap. Anyway, I’m working to get him refund after he opens a return.
I bought a box of ceramics in May that had mostly Pinheiro plus some Italian stuff. All the Pinheiro sold, and some for really good money. It is now on my BOLO list, and I bought the bowls at a garage sale about a month ago. I also bought some platters at an estate sale in Sept, but they have not been doing as well partly because they each have a chip or two.
Week of Nov 14 – 20
* Total Items in Store: 466
* Items Sold: 17
* Cost of Items Sold: $26.68
* Total Sales: $267.10
* Highest Price Sold: $38 Set of 4 Bordallo Pinheiro Cabbage bowls
* Average Price Sold: $15.71
* Returns: 0
* Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $55 at auction
* Number of items listed this week: 12I’ve been selling mostly lower price items, and my average price sold went down this week.
I went to an auction last week and bought a few lots with copper, brass, and other metal items. However, I didn’t think that the stuff they were selling was as good as previous months. Also, prices at online auctions are going for higher than normal. I think that people are spending more for the holidays, so I am planning to slow down on the sourcing and focusing on getting my already purchased inventory listed.
A friend gave me some electronics to sell such as VCRs, receivers, amp, etc. I haven’t listed any of it yet because I am dreading the process of testing each piece. It is down on my priority list.
I have a milk glass cake plate similar in shape to the one in the video. I knew how it was supposed to sit, but, when I went to list it, I noticed I had photographed upside-down! I must have been “in the zone”/spaced out, so I had retake the photos.
The plate has 12 watchers now. I realize that that doesn’t always mean anything, but I’m pretty sure it will sell in the next few weeks. I had someone ask me whether I would ship it directly to a PO Box in the UAE, and I said I only shipped through the GSP. That isn’t actually true, but I didn’t want to ship direct in this case.
I think that my parents were sort of in between – they weren’t big spenders, but they weren’t frugal. When I was in high school, my mom gave me a budget for new clothes, and then let me buy what I wanted (within reason). She taught me to buy at sales, and sometimes we went to flea markets to buy or sell. So, I’ve always had that in me.
When I went out on my own, my mom suggested I buy a money magazine to learn the basics. I started with Sylvia Porter’s magazine (can’t remember the exact title), which went out of business a few years later and Kiplinger’s took over. I started just reading one or two articles a month until I understood it. My investments in mutual funds helped me buy my first home, and my first home helped us buy our second after we started adding to the family.
My mom also told me to start with my company’s 401K as soon as I had a chance. That money has really grown well over the years.
Since I haven’t been working at a company for over 2 years now, my family and I have had to become very frugal. We weren’t spenders, but I was able to cut out expenses that we really didn’t need and reduce costs of our months bills (like cell phone provider).
If I should make a better income in the future, our new frugality will help us.
Anyway, here are my numbers from this week:
Week of Nov 7 – 13
* Total Items in Store: 467
* Items Sold: 16
* Cost of Items Sold: $28.60
* Total Sales: $411.12
* Highest Price Sold: $80 NWT Beaded Evening Bag
* Average Price Sold: $25.70
* Returns: 0
* Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $9-ish
* Number of items listed this week: 20I sold fewer items this week, but the average sale price was higher. Several of my sales were from collectable Zippo and other lighters that I listed this week. In fact, one listing sold within about 5 min of me posting it. Lighters are definitely on my BOGO list now. The lighters and the evening bag mentioned above were all from the same online auction from September. The bag had been listed for a while, but I just hadn’t had time for the lighters until more recently.
Here are some links:
Zippo Lighters:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=182349441616
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=182349530369Colibri Lighters:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=182348973285Evening Bag (sold to someone in Alaska!):
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=182308747478I did get my first negative feedback. A buyer told me that what I sold him was a women’s belt, not a man’s, and he was very disappointed. I offered a full refund, but he said that he gave the belt to someone else. I called eBay to try to get the feedback removed, and the guy I talked to gave me the “it’s his opinion” line. I will call back again later. In the meantime, I went through all the belts I had and changed any that I wasn’t sure about to “unisex belt”. I did a little research, and there is a different direction to put on belts depending on gender. Sometimes the writing on the back of the belt can help figure that out. Still, I wasn’t sure on some.
In September, I bought several lots in an online auction/estate sale. I did find some change and a $2 bill, but what was interesting was information on the people who used to own the items.
I bought one lot that had wallets, and I found the money I mentioned, business cards for both the wife and the husband, a library card, and a photograph that I believe was the husband and wife in their earlier years, maybe 30’s. In a lot of decor, I found a more recent photo of her with a friend.
Through Google, I was basically able to find out some of her and her husband’s life history. She was a professor teaching English and public speaking at a community college who had passed away in July, and her husband was an engineer who passed away over 10 years ago.
I kind of felt like a stalker, but it does remind oneself how much information is available online. A good thing to do is to google your name (use quotes around your first and last name) to see what is out there. My name has a different spelling, so I’m able to find my information pretty easily.
